Hollow metallic tile.



J. H. SHERMAN. HOLLOW METALLIC TILE. I APPLICATION FILED DBO 11, 1912 7 1,066,229. Patented July 1, 191a Inventbr I 60. fit; Attol hey Witnesses thesheet to-be bent atthe points wherelthe STATES. PAEE T F C JAMES H. SHERMAN, or KANSAQGITY, MISSOURI.

noeasae.

HOLLOW METALIJIC TILE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 1 1913.

. Application filedJJecember 11,1912. S eria1No. 736,137.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES H. SHERMAN,

a citizen of .the United States, residing at -Kansas City,

Jackson county, Missouri,

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hollow Metallic Tiles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in ,hollowmetallic tiles designed as a substitu'te for hollow terra-cotta tiles employed in; spanning between ,fl'oorbeams in con- .crete building construction.

fold which is to form the baseof a mold.-

In employing hollow terra-cotta tiles in concrete floor construction, a string of tiles, placed end to end, issupported .on a scaf- A second string of the tiles is then placed .on the scaffold, parallel with the first string, and at such distance from the first string asto leave room for the poured concrete to form the floor-beam, and so on with other strings of tiles and beam'spaces to provide for the desired floor area. Concrete is then poured intothe beam-spaces, which spaces may be provided with metallic reinforcements for the concrete, and concrete is also placed for a suitable thickness over the tiles.

When this work has set and the scaffold hasbeen removedthen there is a floor structure formed of concrete beams spanned by hollow terracotta-tiles and having an overunder surface of this layof concrete to receive the flooring. The general floor structure may :be plastered. These terra-cotta tiles are rather costly, especially in shipping, owing to their bulk.

In my Patent No. 1,009,865, of Novem-' ber 28th, l911, I set forth a hollow vmetallic tile designed as a substitute for the hollow terra-cotta tiles above referred to. In my patented construction I took a piece of sheet metal I formed crimped parallel ribs running lengthwise of the sheet; I formed the metal foraminous between the ribs in order to furnish superior toothing to hold con crete; the length. of the sheet would be top, bottom and sides ofthe metallic tile, which was designed to be the same size'as a terra-cotta tile; the width of the sheet-of metal was to correspond with the desired length of the tile;

this sheetwas to be bent to .form a'foursided box-shaped tile; the ribs were to project inside the tile to reinforce it; the ribs were formed with cuts and slits .to permit referred to,

one of the corners of the tile, where .the

final closure of the .bent-up structure was 0 be effected, the contiguous walls were connected, as by means of rivets or vthe like. These metallic tiles had strength superior to that of the terra-cotta tiles and they :could be shipped box form.

'My present invention designs to improve upon the metallic tile of my patent above the improvements looking to a superior arrangement of the corners and to avoid the necessity for the employment of rivets or other,.extraneous fastenings at such corner or corners as are formed by uniting separate wall edges.

The present inventi'on will be readily understood from .the following description taken in.c0nnection with:the accompanying drawing in which Figure 1, .is a perspective view of a hollow metallic tile exemplifying my present. .invention: ig. 2 an end .uiew of the same: F 1g. 3 a view, 'on anenlarged scale, of .the bent-up. upper right-hand corner .of .Fig. "3, a portion appearing in section in the plane of liner; of Figs. 1 and .6: Fig. 4: a transverse section through one of the ribs of the top of the .tile in the plane .of line bnof Figs. 1 and 2: enlarged scale, .of the lower right-hand-corner of Fig. 2,.portionsappearing insection in the plane o-f line a of .Figs. ,1 and 6, it being understood that this particularcorncrof the tile is .the one .wherethefinalclosure is to be efiected after the metal .is bentup to box form: Fig.6 is a perspective --,vi ew of a portion of the tileshowin the .ends of adjacent ribs, the one rib being slotted to receive the other rib.

In the drawingF-l, indicates the-exemplifying hollow; metallic tile as a whole, in its completed condition: 2, the roof of the tile: 3, its floor: 4, one of its end walls,r5,-its. other end wall: 6, the inwardly projecting ribs extending continuously around the tile, Fig. 1 illustrating the tile as being provided with four of these ribs: 7, those =portions of these ribs at that one of the sidewalls of the tile which is to take .part in before being bent-up into Fig. 5, an elevation, .on an,

too I the final seaming ofthe bent-up sheet: 8, e

the corners of the tile at-the side opposite side-wall 5: 9, the corner of the tile at the top of side-wall 5: l0, thecorner of the the atthe' base of theside-wall '5, this .co'rper being the one where the final seaming is to take place in completing the bent-- up structure: 11, the inner edges of the ribs 7 on sidewall 5: 12, those portions of the 5 ribs 6 which are on the floor 3 of the tile:

i5 apertures formed by bending vthe tongue ownwardt- 16, outwardly and upwardly presenting hooks formed at the lower ends of ribs 7, theseihooksbein 'formed by cutting away the metal of. the ribs just outwardly beyond the hooks: 17 the upper ends of the ribs 7, the inner ortions thereof being slitted and separate to permit the ends of the contiguous ribs to enterbetween the sides of ribs 7 and 18, the end portions of the ribs which coiiperate with the ends of the slitted ribs, the former entering in be tween the sides of" ihe, latter.

As these metallic' tiles may be used either side up, and as the peculiar corner-locking now of special interest may beat any or at all the four corners, it is to be understood that such terms as top, bottom, upper, lower, etc., are employed only in the relative sense with reference to the particular manner in which the tile is illustrated in the drawing. While he construction will naturally call for such foraminous form for the general walls of the tile as to forma proper toothing for concrete, as in my earlier patent above referred to, I have thought best to illustrate the walls as being plain, for more purpose of clear delineation. The general forming of the sheet, and the bending of it into box form, and the final'utilization of it will besubstantially the same as in my-former patent, and therefore attention need be given mainly to the improved corner formation and to the improved system for effecting' the final seaming or locking of the structure at the corner 10.

Looking at Fig. 5, assume that;the structure has been bent-up to such form that the base of sidewall 5, together with its ribs 7,

- stands entirely above the general floor of; 5 the tile; If, now, this side-wall be forced downwardly the prongs ofhooks 16 may besteered into the apertures 14 and the sidewall, can be easily pushed down toward homeuntil tongues 15 offer resistance by thcir'contact with the faces of the ribs of side-wall 5. But these tongues are flexible, within reasonable limits, and the applica-- tion of sufiicient force downwardly on sidewall 5 will cause the tongues yield inwardly and permit the' points ofthe hooks 16 to pass downwardly so far that the hooks may be forced outwardly by the tongues and engaged under the crowns of the floorribs. When this is done the structure is complete and the-locking or seaming at this 0 closing corner 10 is as perfect as any necessity calls for. It is to be particularly noticed that the hooks 16 are urged to and held in proper engaging position by thesprings, the springs thus far referred to being represented by the tongues 15. But, as independent of or supplemental to the springs furnished by these tongues I provide the structure with another sprmg. In Fig. 3 attention is called to the inner edges so 11 of the ribs 7 of side-wall 5. The inner upper ends of these ribs are slitted and cut to straddle the roof-ribs 6, thus forming male .and female corner joints. If the inner edges 11 of the ribs of the side-wall were slitted so far downwardly at their tops as to clear the crowns of the roof;ribs, when the. metal was bent completely to shape,

then there would still be some springing efl'ect tending to urge and hold the books 16 in engagement, owing to the natural resistance of the corner 9 of the tile to the a bending operation. f This resistance to bending holds good as regards all ofthe inte-r 'gral corners of the tile, and it is therefore seen that the tile furnishes a spring tend ing tourge and hold the hooks linto engagement quite independent of the tongues 15. But I provide other positive springs to co-act with the hooks. Notice in Fig. 3, representing the tile corners at the top of side-wall 5, that the. bending ofthis corner has not yet reached the ninety degree angle.- But, notwithstanding this, the inner edges 11 of thevertical ribs have their tops in engagement under the crowns of the roof-ribs 6. Any further inward flexure of the vertical ribs 7 is resisted by the roof-ribs and therefore suflicient force must be-applied, in flexing thetsidewall inwardly, to spring the general roof somewhat upwardly. This springing of the roof of the tile tends to force the base of the side-wall outwardly and to accomplish just what is wanted at the books 16 in urging and holding. them into engagement. Fig. 3 illustrates the mcompleteness of the ninety degree bonding with some exaggeration, very little being required; to accomplish "the. desired: purpose.

Any, trifling distortion; of .the, general tile I by reason of .the springin'gjof the roof. above referred to, may be entirely ignored in structures designed for the uses of these hollow metallictiles.

Those skilled in the art of sheet metal 1 working will, upon analysis of the construe-- tion herein set forth, apprehend the fact that, given a fiat sheet of metal of proper dimensions to form the completed structure, all necessary cutting, slitting, etc, of 3 :the. sheet-maybe .efl'ected before any bending orribbing is done, and it may here be incidentallystated that all .of this work, includingforaminous formation, upon the flat sheet ,may be done one impulse of a suitable machine which leaves the structure complete except as to the bending of the corners and the locking of the final seam.

In the illustration I have shown the tile as a complete hollow structure following, in

this respect the form of tile set forth in my earlier patent. But it should be explained that in some forms of these tiles .the floor of the box-like structure may be omitted, as in cases Where the tile is to form an arch instead of a linte]. In such eases the male and female-corner system maybe employed at the bent corners, and the booking lock system may be employedwherever a wall of the structure is to be locked to another wall of the same or at another structure, in other words, the automatic corner locking may take the place of bent corners even in cases Where the structure'has less than four Walls. It is to beobserved, also, regarding the male and female corner-joints, that this system is employed at the'locking corners 10 as Well as at the benteorners. A

I claim 1. Metallic sheet-tiling comprising a single piece r'nultiplewall, angular-cornered construction, said walls adjoining each other to form a corner, inwardly projecting ribs upon one of said walls and inwardly projecting ribs upon the other wall, the ends of the ribs of the second wall being slitted to straddle the contiguous ends of the ribs of the first wall, combined substantially as set forth. j

2. Metallicsheet-tiling, comprising a single piece multiple-wall, angular-cornered construction, crimped ribs projecting inwardly from the, Walls, perforations formed in the ,crowns of? the ribs at one ed e of one of the walls, hooks formed on the ribs at the edge of the contiguous wall to engage within said perforations, and spring-mechanism to serve" in urging and holding the hooks in engagement in the perforations, combined substantially asset forth.

3. Metallic sheet-tiling, comprising a single piece multiple-wall, angular-cornered construct-ion, inwardly crimped ribs projecting inwardly from the walls, perforations formed in the'crowns of the ribs at one edge of one of the walls,-hooks formed on the ribs at the edge of the contiguous wall to engage within said perfortions, and spring-mechanism to serve in urging and holding the hooks in engagement in the perforations, the ends of the hook-pro-- vided-rihs having porfions'straddling the ends of the perforatediribs', combined substantially as set forth.

4. Metallic sheet-tiling, comprising a sinwardly from the walls,

gle piece multiple-wall, angular-cornered construction, crimped ribs projecting inwardly. from the walls, perforations formed in the crowns of the ribs at one ed e of one of the walls, hooks formed on tie, ribs at the edge of the contiguous wall to engage within. said perforations, and springmechanismintegrally formed, by the metalof the walls to serve in urging and holding the hooks inengagement in the perforations, combined substantiallyv as set forth.

5. Metallic sheet-tiling, comprising a single piece multiple-wall, angular-cornered construction, crimped ribs projecting inwardly from the walls, perforations-formed in the crowns of the ribs at one ed e of one of the walls, ho'oks'formed on tie ribs at the edge of the contiguous wall to engage within said perforations, and lips projecting from the perforated ribs at the inner portions of said perforations to engage said hooks and hold them to active engagement in the perforations, combined substantially as set forth.

6. Metallic sheet-tiling, comprising a single piece multiple-wall, angular-cornered construction, crimped ribs projecting inrib-portions on one of the walls engaging rib-portions on the contiguous wall and serving to yieldingly resist those two walls taking position at right angles to each other, perforations formed in the crowns of the ribs at one edge of one of the walls, and hooks formed on the ribs at the edge of the contiguous wall to engage within said perforations and be held in engagement by the strain on the walls, comined substantially asset forth.

7. In metallic tile construction, two sheet metal Walls adjoining each other to form a corner, each of said walls having an inwardly projecting rib, the end of the rib of one wall beingslitted to straddle the contiguous end of "the rib of the other wall, said walls being designed to meet at a certain angle, and said slit being of such length as to impingeagainst thecrown of the contiguous rib so as to resist the attainment of said angle between the walls.

8. In metallic tile construction, two sheet metalwalls adjoining each other to form a corner, each of said Walls havin an inwardly projecting rib, the end of t e rib of one wall being slitted to straddle the contiguous end of the rib of the other wall, said walls being designed to meet at right-angles, and said-slit being of such length as to impinge against thecrown of the contiguous rib so as to resist thev attainment of said angle between the walls. 9. In metallic tile construction two sheet metal walls adjoining each other to form a corner, each ofsaid walls havin an inwardly projecting rib, the end of t e rib of j one wall having an aperture in its crown,

' a corner 1 each of said walls having an inl 1 I 5 wardly i i'ojecting rib, the end of he rib of i JAMES HDRMAN- 5 1 i i I v I 4 1,066,229

the contiguous end of the rib of the other and a lip projecting from the apertured rib' 10 Wall having a hook to engage said aperture. at the inner portion of said aperture to en- 10. In metallic tile eonstruction, two sheet gage said hook to aretain it in engagement metal Walls adjoining each other to form with said aperture.

- i i one Walt having an aperture in i 8 Crown, W1tnesses: the conti uous end of the rib of the other JEFFERSON S. StlONE, wall having a hook to engage said aperture, I ROBERT BAmtm 

